EP1168512A1

EP1168512A1 - Electrical connector

Info

Publication number: EP1168512A1
Application number: EP01112433A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Helmut Singer; Gerhard Geiselmann
Original assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises LLC
Current assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises LLC
Priority date: 2000-06-20
Filing date: 2001-05-22
Publication date: 2002-01-02
Also published as: HK1042385A1; DE10030228C2; JP2002042934A; DE10030228A1

Abstract

An electrical connector (10) for two electrical components (11, 12) having contact surfaces (16, 17), which in the assembled state lie opposite one another and preferably extend parallel to one another, is provided with an insulating body (13) equipped with a plurality of contacts (14), which are held at a distance alongside one another and profiled in longitudinal section, and mechanically connectable to one of the electrical components (11, 12). To enable a more advantageous design of the connector (10) in terms of both the overall length and the constructional outlay while still guaranteeing good contact making, it is provided that each contact (14) at its free and freely movable end region (19) projecting out of the insulating body (13) is provided with two oppositely directed contact points (31, 32), which are spaced apart in axial contact direction and disposed in mutually offset planes, for the contact surfaces of the two electrical components (11, 12).

Description

The present invention relates to an electrical connector according to the preamble of claim 1.
In such an electrical connector, which is known from EP 0 964 478 A2, the contacts of which make contact in a solderless manner with the relevant contact surfaces of the two electrical components, the contacts, which are profiled in longitudinal section and clamped at an end region in the insulating body, are bent back in the manner of a horizontal U at their free end, which projects from the insulating body. The one contact point, which contacts the electrical component on which the insulating body is held mechanically, protrudes after the clamped region from the base of the insulating body. In said case, said contact point projects in a spring-elastic manner beyond the base surface of the insulating body. The contact point, which is to make contact with the other opposite electrical component, is provided on the outermost end of the bent-back part of the free end region. The part of the free end region lying opposite the bent-back part extends at a slight distance above the one electrical component and is substantially fixed, wherein the forces acting upon the contact point of the bent-back part have to be taken up upon contacting of the other electrical component.
The drawback here is the relatively large overall length and the relatively elaborate shaping of the contacts because the long part lying opposite the bent-back, free and resiliently movable part of the contact has to be of a relatively stable construction. A further drawback is that the insulating body has to be mechanically fastened in a stable manner to the one electrical component in order to take up the spring force of the other contact point of the contact acting upon the electrical component.
The object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector of the type described initially, which is of a more advantageous design in terms of both the overall length and the constructional outlay and yet guarantees good contact making.
To achieve said object, in an electrical connector of the described type the features indicated in claim 1 are provided.
By virtue of the features according to the invention short contacts are achieved, which lead to a shorter overall length of the entire electrical connector. A further important advantage is that the two contact points are disposed on the free and freely movable end region of the contact and have a mutually positive influence upon one another during contacting and also in terms of contact quality. As a result of pressure upon the outer contact point, the contact pressure of the inner contact point upon the associated contact surface of the relevant component is simultaneously increased. This leads to an identical contact quality of both contacting points.
An adaptation of the desired contact pressure is achieved through selection of the relevant distances in accordance with the features of claim 2.
According to the features of claim 3 and/or the features of claim 4, different preconditions may be set for achieving the contacting at both contact points. In the former case, contacting of the inner contact surface by the electrical component, to which the insulating body is mechanically fastened, is achieved immediately with the said assembly, while in the latter case the contacting between the inner contact point and the electrical component, on which the insulating body is held, does not occur until after the contacting between the outer contact point and the other electrical component has been effected (so-called zero-force insertion). This has the advantage of reducing the risk of static discharges during handling because, without the other electrical component lying thereon, there is no electrical connection between the inner contact point and the relevant contact surface on the one electrical component.
The features according to claim 5 achieve a constructionally simple solution to the problem of guaranteeing that, when the other electrical component contacts the outer contact point, the free end region of the contact projecting out of the insulating body moves resiliently close to its point of clamping in the insulating body and not in the region of the inner contact point. In said case, in order to intensify said effect the features according to claim 6 are expediently provided.
According to the features of claim 7 and the features of claim 8, two different refinements of the insulating body including the clamping-action mounting of the contacts are provided. In the latter case the electrical connector may, according to the features of claim 9 and/or 10, be refined to the effect that further contact points are provided. According to the features of claim 9, in addition to the component-to-component connection, the possibility of an input/output connection via the end of the insulating body, e.g. for testing purposes or in the case of mobile phones contacting a charging or hands-free talking device, may be achieved. In the case of the features according to claim 10, an electrical connection to the other side of the relevant electrical component is alternatively or additionally achieved, with the result that it is also possible to realise switching functions, by means of which the presence of said electrical component is recognised. This may be effected without an additional plated-through hole in the one component. Furthermore, by virtue of said construction an increase of the mechanical stability of the electrical connector is achieved.
When, given the last-mentioned U-shaped refinement of the extension portions of the clamped region of the contacts, the features according to claim 11 are provided, an active gripping of the relevant electrical component inside the insulating body is achieved. When in said case the features according to claim 12 are provided, foil-like or other thin electrical components may then also be clamped and/or gripped in the insulating body.
Further details of the invention arise from the following detailed description of embodiments of the invention, which are illustrated in the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of two electrical components which are to be electrically connected to one another by an electrical connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention,
Fig. 2 is an enlarged broken-off sectional view along the line II-II of Fig. 1,
Fig. 3 is a section corresponding to Fig. 2 but in the assembled and electrically connected state of the two electrical components,
Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal section through an electrical connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention prior to the electrically connecting assembly of the two electrical components and
Fig. 5A and 5B is a front view and plan view respectively of the electrical connector according to Fig. 4 without the two electrical components.

The electrical connector 10 or 110 illustrated in the drawings is used to electrically connect two electrical components 11 and 12 or 111 and 112, which may be, for example, a printed-circuit board, an LCD arrangement, a mobile phone housing or the like. In said case, the electrical connection between the two components 11 and 12 or 111 and 112 is effected by means of the connector 10 or 110 in a solderless manner purely through contact surface contact. The electrical connector 10, 110 substantially comprises a suitably shaped insulating body 13 or 113 and a plurality of contacts 14 or 114 disposed alongside one another and clamped and/or held in the insulating body 13 or 113. Each contact 14, 114 is connectable in an electrically contacting manner by its free and freely movable end region 19, 119, which projects out of the insulating body 13, 113, to a contact surface 16, 116 of the one electrical component 11, 111 as well as to a contact surface 17, 117, parallel thereto, of the other electrical component 12, 112.
According to the first embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, the insulating body 13 is in plan view (Fig. 1) substantially U-shaped and in side view rectangular, wherein the longitudinal section according to Fig. 2 shows an L-shaped back wall 21 lying at the side and a front threshold 22 resting on the electrical component 11. In a manner which is not illustrated, the insulating body 13 is mechanically fastened to the electrical component 11, e.g. a printed-circuit board. By virtue of its constructional refinement, the insulating body 13 is used to receive and guide the front end region 23 of the other electrical component 12, e.g. a printed-board connector or an LCD unit.
Each contact 14 is held clamped at its one end 26 in the insulating body 13. In said case, the clamping region of the insulating body 13 for the contact 14 lies close to the supporting face 24 of the insulating body 13 on the surface 27 of the one electrical component 11. Said surface 27 is equipped opposite the free end region 19 of the individual contacts 14 with, in each case, the contact surface 16.
The contact 14 held in the insulating body has, in the axial extension of its free end region 19 which terminates just in front of the threshold 22, a first inner contact point 31 and, disposed at a distance from the latter, a second outer contact point 32. The contact 14, viewed in cross section, is profiled in such a way that the inner contact point 31 and the outer contact point 32 are disposed in different, i.e. spaced-apart, parallel planes. Whereas the inner contact point 31 is situated in a plane, which lies approximately in the plane of the clamped end 26 of the contact 14 and in the non-assembled state of the electrical components 11 and 12 is situated at a slight distance above the contact surface 16 of the electrical component 11, the plane of the outer contact point 32 in the non-assembled state according to Fig. 2 lies at a distance therefrom and above the top guide surface of the threshold 27, i.e. the outer contact point 32 protrudes into the insertion opening 34 for the other electrical component 12. The inner contact point 31 of the contact 14 is defined at the bending point between clamped end 26 and outer contact point 32, lying opposite the surface 27 of the one electrical component 11, and the outer contact point 32 is formed diametrically remote from the inner contact point 31 by a curvature of the outermost free end of the contact 14. It is self-evident that the free end edge 33 of the contact 14 after the curved outer contact point 32 is situated below the plane of the top of the threshold 22.
When the other electrical component 12 according to Fig. 3 is introduced into the insertion opening 34 of the insulating body 13, the outer contact point 32 is moved down in the direction of the arrow A, i.e. towards the one electrical component 11, while at the same time on account of the spring-elastic clamping of the contact 14 in the insulating body 13 the inner contact point 31 is moved to the same extent in the direction of the arrow A' towards the surface 27 and hence towards the corresponding contact surface 16 of the electrical component 11 until the inner contact point 31 contacts the contact surface 28 with a specific contact pressure. Said contact pressure is dependent upon the elastic stiffness of the free end region 19 of the contact 14 and upon the distance, over which the outer contact point 32 has been moved by the other electrical component 12 in the direction of the arrow A. In other words, the contact pressure of the two contact points 31 and 32 on the relevant mating contact surfaces 16 and 17 is in both cases substantially approximately identical.
To achieve said elastic and, in terms of the two contact points 31 and 32, identical and uniform movements, according to Fig. 1 (and Fig. 5B) each contact 14 in plan view is designed in the shape of a double trapezium. In other words, the portion 36 adjacent to the clamped end 26 extends up to the inner contact point 31 and the following portion 37 extends between the two contact points 31 and 32 in each case trapezoidally, wherein the two trapeziums at their in each case larger base sides are integral with one another at the inner contact point 31. In said case, the longitudinal extension of the portion 37 is greater than that of the portion 36 so that the region of the contact 14 at the outer contact point 32 is narrower than the remote region which merges integrally into the clamped end 26. This gives rise to a relative stiffness of the contact 14 in the region of the inner contact point 31, with the result that no swivelling axis is formed there.
According to a non-illustrated variant of said first embodiment, the contact 14 in the region after the clamped end 26 in the insulating body 13 is profiled in such a way that the inner contact point 31 already in the non-assembled state of the other electrical component 12 makes contact with the contact surface 28 of the one electrical component 11. With insertion of the other electrical component 12 into the insulating body 13 the outer contact point 32 of the contact 14 is admittedly likewise moved downwards in the direction of the arrow A but this results not in further movement of the inner contact point 31 but exclusively in an intensification of the contact pressure between inner contact point 31 and contact surface 28.
The electrical connector 119 illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 has an insulating body 113, which in section has the shape of a U lying on its side and integrally composed of an upper shorter limb 141, a back limb 142 and a lower longer limb 143. A receiver 144 for the one electrical component 111 is therefore formed between the two limbs 141 and 143 and, depending on the thickness of the electrical component 111, takes the form of a groove or slot. The former is the case when the electrical component 111 is formed by a printed-circuit board or an LCD plate, while the latter is the case when the electrical component 111 is a foil or the like, which is provided with contact surfaces.
The contacts 114, which are held clamped in the insulating body 113, at their free and freely movable end region 119 projecting from the insulating body 113 have substantially the same shape as the contacts 14 according to Figs. 1 to 3, the sole difference being that the inner contact point 131 is likewise formed by a curvature because the inner portion 136 extends obliquely up towards the clamped end 126. The clamped end 126 of the contact 114 is situated in the upper limb 141 of the insulating body 113.
The clamped end 126 extends by means of a first extension 146 of the contact 114 further towards the back end 145 of the insulating body 113. Said first extension 146 is disposed in such a way that its outer surface projects beyond the end 145 and hence forms a contact region 147. Thus, the insulating body 113 via said end 145 may offer an input/output connection e.g. for contacting a charging device or hands-free talking device for mobile phones.
In the embodiment of Fig. 4, the first extension portion 146 extending at right angles to the clamped region 126 merges into a second extension portion 148, which in turn extends at right angles thereto and parallel to the clamped end 126. The second extension portion 148 inside the lower limb 143 of the insulating body 113 has a contact end 149, which overreaches the surface of the lower limb 43 and may come into contacting connection with a lower contact surface (not shown in detail) of the one electrical component 111. In a variant of said embodiment, the contact end 149 is provided with a spring region, which rises above the inner surface of the lower limb 143, for receiving and gripping the edge region of the one electrical component 111 in the receiver 144.
According to Fig. 4, when the electrical component 111 has been introduced into the receiver 144 of the insulating body 13 and the other electrical component 112 has not yet been assembled, the free end region 119 of the contact 114 is preset in the manner described with reference to Fig. 2, i.e. the inner contact point 131 is disposed at a distance above the contact surface 116 of the one electrical component 111. In said case, in the embodiment of Fig. 4 it is simultaneously provided that the inner contact point 131 is disposed approximately opposite the contact end 149 of the second extension portion 148 in the lower limb 143 of the insulating body 113. When the other electrical component 112 is moved in the direction of the arrow A according to Fig. 4 towards the one electrical component 111 for contacting the contact and/or contacts 114, the inner contact point 131 of the contacts 114 also contacts the relevant contact surfaces 116 of the one electrical component 111. The resultant effects were described with reference to the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 3. It goes without saying that the other electrical component 112 is held in a suitable manner in its contacting position.
Figs. 5A and 5B illustrate the profiling of the contacts 114, the double-trapezium-like shape of which was described with reference to the first embodiment according to Figs. 1 to 3. Accordingly, in Figs. 5A and 5B corresponding reference characters 136, 137 etc. are used for the trapezium portions etc.
According to non-illustrated variants of said second embodiment, the second extension portion 148 and optionally also the first extension portion 146 are omitted from the contact 114. A further variant is such that the two extension portions 146 and 148 are provided not for contacting purposes but merely to increase the stiffness of the insulating body 113.
In the case of said second embodiment also, a variant may be such that the contact 114 in its region on the other side of the clamped end 126 is profiled and/or bent down in such a way that the inner contact point 131 contacts the contact surface 116 on the one electrical component 111 as soon as the latter is accommodated in the receiver 144 of the insulating body 113.

Claims

Electrical connector (10, 110) for two electrical components (11, 12; 111, 112) having contact surfaces (16, 17; 116, 117), which in the assembled state lie opposite one another and preferably extend parallel to one another, comprising an insulating body (13, 113) equipped with a plurality of contacts (14, 114), which are held at a distance alongside one another and profiled in longitudinal section, and mechanically connectable to one of the electrical components (11, 12; 111, 112), characterised in that each contact (14, 114) at its free and freely movable end region (19, 119) projecting out of the insulating body (13, 113) is provided with two oppositely directed contact points (31, 32; 131, 132), which are spaced apart in axial contact direction and disposed in mutually offset planes, for the contact surfaces of the two electrical components.
Connector according to claim 1, characterised in that the distance between the planes of the contact points (31, 32; 131, 132) in the non-assembled state of the electrical components (11, 12; 111, 112) is greater than the distance between the contact surfaces (16, 17; 116, 117) of the electrical components in the assembled state.
Connector according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the plane of the inner contact point (31, 131) in the non-assembled state lies at least in the plane of the associated contact surface (16, 116) of the electrical component holding the insulating body (13, 113).
Connector according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the plane of the inner contact (31, 131) in the non-assembled state lies at a distance from the plane of the associated contact surface (29, 129) of the electrical component holding the insulating body (13, 113) and the inner contact point (31, 131) is movable with a movement of the outer contact point (32, 132).
Connector according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the contact (14, 114) in plan view has an area, which is formed by two trapezoidal shapes (36, 37; 136, 137) joined together at their longer base sides, wherein the inner contact points (31, 131) are disposed in the longer base side.
Connector according to claim 5, characterised in that the axial distance between the outer and the inner contact point (31, 32; 131, 132) is greater than the axial distance of the inner contact point (31, 131) from the clamped region (26, 126) in the insulating body (13, 113).
Connector according to at least one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the insulating body (13) is of a strip-like construction and is held mechanically on the one electrical component (11) and at its end facing the one electrical component (11) holds the contacts (114) in a clamped manner.
Connector according to at least one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the insulating body (113) has a, viewed in cross section, horizontal U-shape, in the slot or groove (144) of which one of the electrical elements (111, 112) is accommodated in a mechanically fixed manner, and that the contacts (114) are held clamped in the insulating body (113) in the region of the top of the one electrical component (111, 112).
Connector according to claim 8, characterised in that the clamped region (126) of the contacts (114) in the insulating body (113) has a first extension portion (136), which overlaps the rear end face (145) of the insulating body (113).
Connector according to claim 8 or 9, characterised in that the clamped region (126) of the contacts (114) in the insulating body (113) has a second extension portion (148), which extends up to a surface region of the lower limb (143) lying opposite the contact clamping limb (141) of the insulating body (113).
Connector according to claim 10, characterised in that the second extension portion (148) of the contact (114) rises above the surface region of the lower limb (143) of the insulating body (113) by means of a resilient part.
Connector according to claim 10 or 11, characterised in that the part of the second extension portion (148) lying exposed on the surface region of the lower limb (143) lies opposite the inner contact point (131).